gourmetpompey

Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 20:40:00 +0000

Mixed bean and veggie salad

1 package pea shoots- roughly chopped

2 cups homemade or canned mixed beans- white northern beans, black beans and pinto- any combination that you like.

2 cups cooked edamame

2 bell peppers finely chopped

2 scallions chopped

1/2 cup red onion chopped

2 cups mixed organic carrots peeled and grated- I get the different colored carrots from Trader Joes.

1 cup chopped cilantro plus 1/4 cup for the dressing.

toss all the veggies and beans in a large bowl. I used a 4 quart bowl. Add the mixture to a salad bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Dressing:

Juice of two limes or lemon

1/4 cup cilantro

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/4 cup olive oil or canola

salt and pepper to taste

1 garlic clove minced

mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit until ready to use.

Side ideas: You could have this salad with chicken or just by itself. We had it with those salt and pepper rice crisps from trader joes. It is a great meal when its too hot to cook.

This recipe was adapted from my sister who lives in Illinois. She loves fresh veggies and beans. She gave me this great idea. Thanks sis!:)

Turkey meatballs

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 21:05:00 +0000

Turkey meatballs with ginger lime sauce

For the meatballs:

1/2 cup panko
1 pound ground turkey- I used lean turkey
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions chopped
1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sriracha hot sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet with non stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl add the turkey, panko, egg white, salt, scallions, ginger, cilantro, soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix gently with hands. Then mix in the sriracha sauce with a small spoon. It can get a little spicy on your hands. Shape meatballs into 1/4 cup size. Place them on a cookie sheet. Bake 15-18 min or until the internal temperature reaches 165. I use a digital thermometer to get an accurate temperature.

Ginger lime sauce:

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside until the meatballs are ready to eat.
3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 scallion chopped
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1-1/2 Tablespoon water

The sides for my dish included:
I made some jasmine rice. I sauteed Brussels sprouts in a wok with some rice bran oil. I placed some rice on the bottom of the plate then topped it with three meatballs and added some Brussels sprouts to the side. I then added the ginger lime sauce to the top of the meatballs.

Granola

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 17:32:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone! Well it is February now but its been a busy start to the new year. I am finally getting a recipe posted. I hope to get a lot more recipes posted for 2014. Enjoy!

Leaha's homemade granola

4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons coconut oil- coconut oil comes as a solid so I melt it for about 30 seconds in the microwave.

I add the coconut oil to my measuring cup first then add the honey and it comes out of the measuring cup a lot easier!

In a large bowl I mix all the dry ingredients. Then I add the wet ingredients and mix well.

preheat the oven to 350.

I start with half the amount on a cookie sheet about 2 cups.
Just make sure you have a nice thin layer on the sheet. If the layer is too thick the oats will not toast evenly. Then put it in the oven. It will be in the oven for a total of 40-45 min. You will stir the mixture every 15min. When it looks nice and golden brown it is done. Let the granola cool for 10min. Then I do the second batch.

Store it in a plastic sealed container on the counter for a few days. It probably would last a week but its gone too fast for it to last that long;) It is great on top of yogurt in the morning or on some vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Polenta

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 21:00:00 +0000

Italian Polenta bowls

Ingredients:

1 bag of polenta- I used bobs redmill

6 cups of water

2 cups polenta

3 cups roasted peeled tomatoes- fresh or good quality organic canned or a good jar of store bought tomato sauce works just as well.

2 cloves garlic minced

large bunch of fresh basil- I use a 4oz container from Trader Joes. Set some aside for a topping.

Parmesan cheese for topping

Herbs for polenta- dried oregano, thyme, pepper, basil and salt. All herbs are seasoned to taste. I change it up everytime I make this dish.

I start with the tomato sauce. I blend the tomatoes in a food processor along with a nice large bunch of basil. I season it with my favorite italian herbs.

Heat a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and stir. Then turn the heat down a bit and add about 1/4 cup of red wine and two tablespoons tomato paste. Using a whisk make sure you blend the garlic, wine and tomato paste together well. Turn the heat down and add the blended tomatoes. Stir well. Cover and let simmer for at least 30 min.

Cook the polenta as directed on package. I boil 6 cups of water to 2 cups of polenta. You will stir constantly for 30 min. It is a nice workout for your arms:) When the polenta is nice and thick add your favorite italian herbs and spices. Scoop into bowls and top with the tomato sauce, basil and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Helpful quick meal suggestions:

This recipe makes a nice amount of polenta. I usually get about 4-5 meals. If you only need a small amount of what you cooked, polenta refrigerates well and saves for a few weeks. I also will pour the polenta into muffin cups and refrigerate overnight. The polenta is a great quick breakfast with an egg on top and a side of salsa.

Easy cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 20:40:00 +0000

Pumpkin Cookies

1/2 cup butter (room temp) good substitutes are Earth Balance or Greek yogurt.

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup brown sugar- if you like less sweet use 1/4 cup

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg or egg white, or flax meal egg substitute

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups all purpose flour- or a mixture of gluten free flours.

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon pumpkin spice

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. I use a stone for baking but if you don't have one a regular cookies sheet works great.

In a large mixing bowl cream butter & sugar until light and fluffy. Beat for a good 3-5 minutes. This helps with the texture and baking of the cookies.

Then add the molasses and egg. Then stir in the pumpkin. Beat 2 min.

In another bowl add flour, baking soda and spices.

Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture. Make sure the flour is blended but don't over mix. If the batter seems a bit dry add a tablespoon of water or milk.

Scoop the cookies onto the baking sheet with a large spoon or small baking scooper. Bake for 11 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet. Store in an air tight container. Refrigerate after a few days.

Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 23:15:00 +0000

Spicy slow cooker beans

6 cups dried beans- black, pinto, aduki, white northern beans.

Rinse the beans a few times. Then add them to a large mixing bowl and cover them with water about two inches above the beans. Soak them overnight. Most of the water will have soaked into the beans by morning.

I have a 7 quart crockpot. If you have something smaller like a 3-5 quart I would use 2 cups for a 3 quart and 4 cups for a 5 quart.

The next morning rinse the beans again. Then add them to your crockpot. Add enough water to just cover the beans. I don't like too much water because I like my beans thick. If you want a little sauce add water about an inch or two above the level of the beans.

Ingredients:

6 cups soaked beans- 7quart crockpot

4 cups soaked beans- 5 quart crockpot

2 cups soaked beans- 3 quart crockpot

1 large sweet onion

2 bell peppers- I like yellow and red

2 hot peppers of choice- Jalapenos or serranos- I leave the seeds in them and it gives the beans a nice warm heat.

NOTE: you can add any combination of herbs and spices. These are my favorite.

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground pepper

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp ancho chili powder

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp basil

2 tsp smoked paprika

4 oz shot of whiskey- any kind. I use rebel yell or Jameson. The whiskey gives the beans a smokey sweetness that is amazing!

Add all of the ingredients to the beans and water give it a good stir. Put the lid on the crockpot and set the temp to high for the first hour. Then low for the rest of the day. If you don't have time to do this just leave it on low and the crockpot with do the work. You will have left overs unless you are having a party! so these beans freeze very well in quart size ziploc bags. They also keep for over a week in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

My favorite toppings for these beans:

Cilantro

Queso fresco cheese

Red onions

Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:25:00 +0000

Chocolate Coconut Cherry Ice Cream

2 cans of coconut milk- I used the light from Trader Joe's

1/4 cup sugar

I left the sugar out the first time I made it. The ice cream had a nice light sweet taste from the coconut milk.

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup fresh chopped cherries

In a pot over medium heat, add all the ingredients and stir. Allow it to simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes.

Place in a container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Add the cherries right before you add the mixture to your ice cream maker.

Add the mixture to your ice cream maker bowl. Let it churn for 20-30min. No longer. It will have an airy light fluffiness to the texture.

When you are ready to serve let the ice cream sit out for a good 10 min before serving. Add a few scoops to your favorite ice cream bowl and sprinkle with coconut. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 00:11:00 +0000

GF & Vegan Coconut Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup gluten free oats

2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped

1/2 cup chocolate chips- nestle dark chocolate chips, or vegan chocolate chips.

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon water or almond milk

1 egg white or egg substitute: 2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 1/4 cup water- let sit 5 min.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl including the brown sugar and chocolate chips. In a separate bowl stir coconut oil, water or almond milk and the egg substitute together.

Then add the liquid ingredients to the dry and stir. The mixture will be sticky. Wet your hands before shaping the cookies. Then place them on the baking sheet and bake 15min. They should be slightly golden brown when done. Let them cool on a baking rack.

Keep them in an air tight container for storing. They last up to 1 week in the refrigerator and a few days on the counter.

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 17:02:00 +0000

Asian Tuna Lettuce Wraps

Black rice cooked- 1 cup rice to 1-1/4 cups water bring to boil. Cover and simmer 40min. I buy this in bulk at Sprouts or you can find it in bags at the grocery store.

1 head of butter lettuce

2 cans tuna- no salt, no oil added. I buy the Trader Joe's brand.

2 tablespoons sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

Nori seasoning for topping.

Trader Joe's also has a great seaweed topping in a small bag, if you can't find nori seasoning. It adds a lot of flavor to this dish. I buy the nori at Ralph's grocery store in the Asian food isle.

Preparation:

Mix the Tuna, sriracha, oil, vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl with a fork. If you like a little extra spice add more sriracha. If the tuna seems a bit dry for your taste add a little more sesame oil.

Place a few butter lettuce leaves on a plate. Add a few spoonfuls of tuna and then rice. Top with Nori seasoning and sriracha and enjoy!

Perfect for a hot summer day!

Special note:

I decided to make the font purple today in honor of a sweet little girl we knew named Layla who lost her battle to neuroblastoma. Today would have been her 10th birthday.

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:48:00 +0000

Homemade soft pretzels and rolls

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water (microwave about 1 min)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package rapid rise yeast
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil for bowl and work surface
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt or kosher salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using a small spatula fold the mixture together until the dough is soft and pulls away from the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans or one large sheet pan. with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope or rolls. I decided to make 4 of each. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Ideas for the pretzels and rolls:

The rolls can be made into a delicious sandwich. Cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches are always really good for those hot summer evenings.

Pretzels with mustard and a beer also go very well together! enjoy!

Tuna Melt

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:16:00 +0000

Leaha’s healthy Tuna Melt

Serving s- 3 sandwiches

Ingredients:

3 cans Trader Joes tuna- drained. This tuna is in water no salt added.

½ cups chopped bell peppers- I used red and yellow

1 jalapeno chopped with seeds

2 tablespoons chopped onion- red or sweet onion

2 tablespoons Trader Joes fat free sour cream

¼ cup horseradish mustard

2 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro

1 small garlic clove chopped

Dash of salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Melting cheese- I like fontina cheese or sharp cheddar.

Bread: Miltons or even a soft rye bread.

Butter for the bread

Preparation:

Mix the 10 ingredients in a bowl. You might need to add a little more sour cream, you can decide. Cover and refrigerate for a short time to let the flavors come together. Get your bread, cheese and butter ready for grilling. Butter your bread then place it into your grilling pan. Place the tuna on the bread then the cheese and top it with the other slice of bread. I would say about 2 minutes each side until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is nice and brown on the outside.

Cupcakes!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:00:00 +0000

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes:

3/4 cup Cocoa powder
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar- I used brown sugar
1- tsp baking soda

12oz Stout beer- I used Murphy's Stout- they come in 16oz cans I measured 12oz and enjoyed the rest.
1 stick melted butter
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract
2 eggs- I used egg whites- set your eggs out to become room temp.
3/4 cup fat free sour cream

Frosting: Double the recipe if you like more frosting.

1 4oz package of cream cheese (softened)
2 tablespoons butter (softened)
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 small drops of green food coloring
4 tablespoons brandy or Baileys Irish cream- I used Brandy because that is what I had. Baileys is kind of expensive for cooking with.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Spray the liners lightly with non stick cooking spray.

Sift flour & cocoa powder into a bowl. Then add sugar and baking soda. set aside.

Before I combined the liquid ingredients I made my frosting so it has time to set up in the refrigerator.

I softened my cream cheese and butter in the microwave for 20 seconds. Then slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Then added the brandy and peppermint extract. I scooped the mixture into a plastic bag then put it into the refrigerator. I use the bag for piping the frosting on. I just cut a small opening in the corner of the plastic sandwich bag and decorate.

Combine stout, butter and vanilla in a small pan. Heat on low until the ingredients just blend together and everything is the same temp. DO NOT SIMMER OR BOIL the ingredients! let the mixture cool. Then whisk in your eggs one at a time. Mix in sour cream. Mix dry ingredients into the wet. Add the dry one cup at a time so the batter is nice and smooth.

Fill the 12 cup paper lined muffin tin with the batter. I used a 1/3 cup to fill them. You will have batter left after filling the 12 cup tin. If you have a second muffin tin fill it up with the rest of your batter. I had a mini muffin tin so I made mini cupcakes.

After you have the batter into the tin bake them at 350 for 12 minutes. Then turn the pan around and bake for another 12 minutes.

Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating. Pipe the frosting on and sprinkle the top with green sprinkles! now you are ready for St. Patricks Day.

Macaroni with no cheese!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 00:01:00 +0000

Cheese is one of my favorite things to eat. I love cheese dip, grilled cheese, cheese on crackers, cheese with wine I could go on. This year I decided to cut down on my cheese intake I have come up with a great a mac and no cheese. It has flavor without the extra calories and fat. I hope you will try it and let me know what you think. I made this dish for my husband who likes his food to be real and tasty and he loved it.

Mac and no cheese

1 box pasta of choice- I used Gemelli pasta
Cook the pasta according to instructions on the package.

The sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups Almond milk
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 jalapeno or hot pepper chopped with seeds
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup Nutritional yeast seasoning

In a 3 quart pan melt butter. Add the flour and whisk them together to make a paste. Then add the Almond milk whisk until it becomes thick. Add celery seeds and salt and pepper. Then fold in the nutritional yeast seasoning and the hot pepper. Then fold in the cooked pasta. Serve in a bowl sprinkle with a little yeast seasoning and enjoy!

cookies and beer

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:56:00 +0000

Chocolate stout cookies with salted caramel frosting

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1Tbsp dark cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

6 ounces stout- I used Murphy's stout

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1 bag of salted pretzels

Salted Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter

Pinch of salt

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup whipping cream- I use the whipping cream from Trader Joes.

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powders, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

Beat butter with sugars with a mixer using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and egg and beat to combine. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the beer. Beat just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.

Chill dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes or until firm enough to scoop.

Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F for 15-17 minutes or until tops spring back lightly when touched. Cool on pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Salted Caramel Frosting

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, salt and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil unstirred for 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and immediately whisk in cream. Whisk in vanilla. Cool 5-10 minutes, and then stir in 1 cup powdered sugar. Whisk briskly to smooth out any lumps. Add powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking briskly between each addition, until frosting is firm enough that the whisk tracks don’t sink all the way back into the frosting.

Crush the pretzels in a ziploc bag. Sprinkle them on the cookies. Press down lightly so the pretzels stick. The cookies will keep in an air tight container for a few days.

Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Leaha's spicy white chicken chili

1 whole 3-4 pound chicken

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 whole garlic bulb (top cut off)

1 fresh rosemary sprig (or dried chopped rosemary)

1 large sweet onion (chopped)

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)

2 jalapenos (chopped with seeds)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon dried ground red hot peppers
(a great mixture from my moms garden in Illinois)

1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can black beans or another can of cannellini beans

1 cup chicken broth (divided)

Cilantro for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400. Heat up a dutch oven or deep pan with a tablespoon canola oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on each side. Place the chicken breast side down and brown it for 4 minutes. Once it is brown turn off the heat leave the chicken in the pan or dutch oven. Flip the chicken back over. Place the garlic bulb inside the cavity along with the rosemary sprigs. If you are using dried chopped rosemary just rub it all over the chicken. Then add 1/2 cup chicken broth. Bake the chicken for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, get a bowl and chop all your veggies. The onion, bell peppers and jalapenos. Add your herbs and spices to the veggies and mix well. Set the bowl of veggies aside while the chicken is cooking.

When the chicken is done the internal temp will reach 165. Test the chickens dark meat for the internal temp. The dark meat takes the longest to cook. Also the juices will run clear and chicken will fall apart. Remove the chicken from the pan and place the chicken on a cutting board to rest and cool while you prepare the chili.

The chicken will have left a wonderful juice at the bottom of the dutch oven or pan. Bring the juices to a small simmer on the stove. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth and two tablespoons of flour. Whisk until the mixture is thick. Then add all your veggies, if when you add your veggies the mixture seems too thick add a little more chicken broth. Let the veggies simmer for 10 minutes.

While the veggies are simmering prepare the chicken for the chili. Separate the white meat and dark meat from the chicken. Shred the chicken up and put it in a bowl. Then add it to the veggie mixture. Then add your beans and stir. let it simmer for a few minutes to warm up the beans. Top with cilantro serve and enjoy!

Asian Tacos

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Sriracha chicken cut into cubes- I always have some left over from my crispy sriracha chicken recipe.

1 package Guerrero corn tortillas

1 pan of white rice- I use Jasmine rice from Trader Joes

Bok choy- rinsed and thinly sliced

Nori seasoning

Wasabi sauce

Sriracha

Start by making your rice according to the instructions on the bag. While the rice is cooking chop up your chicken into cubes. Next chop up your bok choy. When the rice is done it is time to assemble your tacos.

I take my tortilla and toast it over the flame on the stove. Then I add my rice, nori seasoning, chicken, bok choy and then my wasabi sauce and sriracha. Thats it! now enjoy.

Stuffing

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Thanksgiving Stuffing

serves 8

1 pan of skillet cornbread cut into large cubes

l loaf sourdough bread cut into large cubes

1 loaf beer bread cut into large cubes

1 stick of butter

1 large sweet onion chopped

3 cups celery chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1 tsp Fresh chopped sage

1/4 cup Fresh chopped parsley

1 teaspoon Dried chopped rosemary

1 tespoon Dried Thyme

salt and pepper to taste

I use three loafs of bread. I like to use my beer bread recipe and skillet cornbread from The Pioneer Woman. Any other bread will do just fine. French bread or sourdough bread works well also.

If you have time cut the bread into cubes and let it dry out on cookie sheets over night. If you are baking the stuffing the same day just use less chicken broth. While I stir everything together I decide how moist I want the stuffing.

Preheat the oven to 400.

Cut the bread into large cubes and place them in a large pan so you can easily stir everything together.

heat up a large skillet add butter. Then onion and celery. Then add herbs. Cook until onion and celery are soft. Add all of this to the pan with the cubes of bread. Then start to laddle the chicken broth into the mixture. Stir carefully so that you don't break up the bread too much. Make sure it is nice and soft, but not soggy.

Transfer the stuffing to a 9x13 pan. Place into the preheated oven for 30 minutes covered. Then take the foil or oven safe lid off and baked for 25 more minutes or until golden brown on top.

I have added a few suggestions below:

If you want to make the two breads I added to my stuffing:

the skillet cornbread can be found at http://thepioneerwoman.com/ just search for it in her recipes. My beer bread is located on my blog. If you have the time it really makes a difference using fresh baked bread.

Sriracha Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 21:19:00 +0000

Crispy Sriracha Chicken

1 package chicken pieces bone in skin on.

3 tablespoons Sriracha

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sake

2 cloves of garlic pressed

1 tablespoon dried rosemary minced

1/4 cup low fat buttermilk

2 gallon size Ziploc bags

When I buy chicken I like to buy Empire kosher chicken from Trader Joes. The package has 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts and 2 legs.

Take the chicken out of the package. I place one of each piece of chicken in each Ziploc.

I then add all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk it well. Then pour half the marinade into one bag with the chicken and the rest in the other bag of chicken.

Seal the bags well and place them into the refrigerator for

4-6 hours. While the chicken is marinating make sure you turn the bags over a few times in the hours it marinades so the chicken is coated evenly.

When the chicken is done marinating preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken into a 9x13 pan. Take each piece out of the bag and arrange it into the pan. I use tongs to do this so it doesn't get messy! There will be marinade left in each bag. Pour it over the chicken. Then place the pan into the oven uncovered for 40 min. The internal temperature should reach 165 or the juices should run clear when it is done.

I serve my chicken with White Jasmine rice and sauted bok choy. I chop the bok choy very thin and small and toss it in a cast iron pan with a little toasted sesame oil. I like to sprinkle it with nori seasoning and top it with wasabi sauce and or sriracha.

Mini Pumpkins

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:28:00 +0000

Mini spider pumpkin candles

I saw this idea in a magazine. I thought it would be cute to put these out for Halloween. All you need to make these cute little guys are black pipe cleaners, a sharp small kitchen knife such as a paring knife, the mini pumpkins and candles. I plan to get some flameless votives when I set them out on Halloween.

1. Measure the opening so it fits the candle.

2. Cut open the pumpkin and clean out all the seeds

3. Then cut the pipe cleaners for the legs. Bend the legs so they look like spider legs.

4. Then pull off some of the black fuzz and push them into the side of the pumpkin.

5. Fit the candle in the center. Then light it and you have a fun festive decoration for Halloween.

NOTE: when I first made these I used a glue gun to put the legs on they ended up falling off.

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:55:00 +0000

My fall favorites

I love fall! I enjoy lighting my favorite fall candle preheating the oven and getting started on my recipes. It stays pretty warm in Southern California all year long. I try to take the cool days that we get once in a while and bake my favorite fall cookies and snacks.

One of my favorite snacks is Pumpkin Seeds. They are so easy and cheap to make. A small sugar pumpkin is only $2.00 at Trader Joe's. I use the pumpkin and the seeds. Pumpkin freezes well so if you only have a few cool days a year make the best of it and bake a few pumpkins and freeze the puree in Ziploc. When pumpkins are almost out at the stores its nice to have it. The canned pumpkin has gone up so much in price that its cheaper to buy a fresh pumpkin. It is time consuming but worth it. You can do so many things with pumpkin. You can make Pancakes, cookies, muffins or even bread. You can even add pumpkin to dishes for dinner.

Pumpkin Seeds

First cut your pumpkin in half and clean out the inside. Separate the seeds from the pumpkin guts. Sometimes it doesn't all come off but that's ok it will roast up nice in the oven.

Then, soak the seeds over night in water. Let them sit over night in the refrigerator. The next day preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pour the seeds into a strainer. Rinse them with cool water under the faucet. Spray your cookie sheet with non stick spray. Pour the seeds on the cookie sheet. spread them out evenly. Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning. I usually use salt and pepper, other options could be cayenne pepper. If you want a sweet snack sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon on them.

Next put them in the oven set the time for 25 minutes. Then stir them. I like my seeds nice and crispy so I stir and set for another 25 minutes. I let them cool and put them in a Ziploc for snacking.

Fall cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:55:00 +0000

Pumpkin Cookies

1/2 cup butter (1 stick room temperature)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup Molasses

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin puree

3 tablespoons milk

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

then add the Molasses and the egg beat until well blended.

Then add the pumpkin stir in the pumpkin. Then add the milk one tablespoon at a time.

In another bowl add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and pumpkin pie spice.

Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture. Blend well but do not over mix. I use a small ice cream scoop that is about a tablespoon in size and add the mixture to a cookie stone. You can use a regular cookie sheet just spray it lightly with non stick spray. bake the cookies for 10-12 min. I start with 10 min. Transfer to a cooling rack let cool.

NOTE: I usually use canned pumpkin. When I have the time I buy a small sugar pumpkin from Trader Joe's. I cut the top and bottom off cut it in half and remove seeds and clean the inside out. Cut it in half again and place it on a cookie sheet in a 375 degree oven for 1 hr. Let the pumpkin cool completely then remove the skin. Puree in a food processor. One pumpkin makes about 1-1/2 cups. Depends on the size. I usually will buy two so I can freeze the rest for more cookies or pumpkin pancakes!:)

Quesadillas

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 00:23:00 +0000

Pumpkin Quesadillas

4 large flour tortillas

1 cup canned pumpkin

4 oz goat cheese

1 cup walnuts chopped

1 tsp Rosemary

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Coriander

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix pumpkin, rosemary, cumin, coriander, pumpkin pie spice and salt and pepper in a bowl.

Then spread some of the pumpkin mixture onto the tortilla. Sprinkle with goat cheese and walnuts. Take the second tortilla and place it on top, press down gently. Then heat up your skillet with tablespoon of oil. Then heat the quesadilla. Brown both sides and make sure the cheese is melted. Then transfer to a plate and cut into triangles. Repeat this step for the second one. This feeds two hungry people!

NOTE: another cheese you can use is parmesan if you don't care for strong cheeses.

Healthy veggie recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 21:53:00 +0000

Veggie Barley Salad

1 cup barley

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 yellow bell pepper chopped

1 orange bell pepper chopped

1 spicy pepper chopped- any kind

1/2 cup light feta cheese or any cheese that crumbles. Blue cheese or queso fresco are good choices.

1/2 cup black olives (optional)

1 heirloom tomato I had nice pretty green colored heirlooms. Vine ripe tomatos work just as well, chopped (optional)

Dressing:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk

1/4 cup balsamic

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves chopped fine

fresh ground pepper

pinch of kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1/2 tsp fresh basil

Cook barley with 2 1/4 cups water in a 4 quart pot. Bring to boil then cover and simmer for 40 min. When barley is done let it cool in the pot. Put the barley into a colander and rinse with cool water a few times until its cool.

Meanwhile, chop all your veggies and add them to the barley in a large mixing bowl. Then make the dressing. Add the feta and dressing and mix with salad spoons. Serve in small bowls and enjoy!

keeps in an air tight container for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. This amount makes enough for 4 servings.

Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:31:00 +0000

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Salsa

Items used:

Old crusty roasting pan- any deep metal pan will do but best results come from old roasting pans.

Stainless steel grill pan- i used this so that the tomatoes would be nicely roasted and not too watery and soggy. It fits perfect in my roasting pan.

1. 12 Heirloom Tomatoes- large and small sizes

2. Two Jalapeno peppers chopped with seeds and a few yellow peppers with seeds.

3. 1 large sweet onion chopped

4. Extra virgin olive oil

5. Leaf oregano

6. Ancho chili pepper

7. Kosher Salt

8. Dried Basil

9. Coriander

10.Cumin

12. I also added a secret spice- it is very hot and you only need a tiny bit. It is basically home grown dried chili peppers ground up in my spice grinder. Feel free to add something spicy of your choice!

11. Nice handful of chopped Cilantro- add last when salsa is ready to be served.

I preheated the oven to 450. Spray the grill pan with non stick spray. Chop all the tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Season them with all the herbs except the cilantro. Then add them to the tray for roasting. Next drizzle a nice amount of Extra virgin olive oil to coat the tomatoes. Then chop the peppers and onions and coat them with olive oil. My oven is small so I roasted the tomatoes first and then roasted the peppers and onions.

Roast the tomatoes for 35-40 minutes. Then Roast the Peppers and onions for 30 minutes let them cool until ready to blend. I like my salsa blended. If you like yours chunky then leave them chopped. I blended the tomatoes and pepper mixture in half amounts because it all does not fit in the food processor at one time. Blend half the tomatoes and half the peppers and onions. Then transfer to a bowl. Then repeat with the other half.

When everything is blended and in one bowl refrigerate the salsa so the flavors can blend together. Then serve with your favorite chips and enjoy!

When life gives you lemons make muffins!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Pompey) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 23:09:00 +0000

Lemon Muffins

2 cups Flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 lemons + 1 for glaze

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk or milk

(if using buttermilk the batter might be a bit thicker just add a little extra water or milk so its not too thick)

1/2 cup plain non fat yogurt

6 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400.

Grease your muffin tin with non stick cooking spray or use paper muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, b.soda and salt. set aside.

Take your three lemons and grate all the lemon rind off and put the rind in the bowl with the dry ingredients. Then you will need to squeeze all the juice from the three lemons. Make sure you strain the juice so the seeds don't fall in. Then pour it into the dry ingredients bowl. Mix well.

In a separate bowl mix eggs, buttermilk or milk, yogurt, and oil. Then slowly add it to the dry ingredients.

Then spoon the batter into a muffin tin of choice. 12 regular size or 6 large. I used a muffin tin for 6 large muffins.

Place into the oven and bake 20 min.

Insert a toothpick to check for doneness.

Lemon Glaze:(Optional)

about 1/4 cup confectioners sugar or a little more

rind and juice from one lemon

Mix together and decide if you need more juice or sugar.

after the muffins cool drizzle a little on top of each muffin before serving. I also sprinkled a little confectioners sugar on top of the glaze.